On its site, consumers can choose a room template or upload a photo of their own space and select furniture to populate it, before purchasing individual items or the whole set. A social networking page also offers a place to share ideas with friends.
Research has shown that consumers have been slow to take up browsing and purchasing online in this sector. This is partly due to a lack of good online content, but consumers also tend to respond better to the quality and feel of magazines, and often use them for inspiration even when planning to purchase online. The Mydeco site is an excellent example of how to appeal to, and interact with, this audience. It also offers advertisers an alternative to conventional banner and button ad formats, which have had limited effect in this sector, by incorporating drop-down menus of advertisers' products, which can be selected and viewed in the room before purchase. This has emerged as the site's most popular feature.
The real challenge for Mydeco will be to make the site a key destination for online buyers as well as browsers, and convert idea exploration into purchases. In turn, this will boost the site's appeal to advertisers.
Website: Design UK.
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